Maritime Bureau

World Maritime Day Parallel Event 2015

It was with great honour and satisfaction that Japan hosted the “World Maritime Day Parallel Event 2015” for its first time on Monday 20 July, which was the twentieth anniversary of enacting “Marine Day” as a national holiday, and on Tuesday 21 July. This event was jointly organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Marine Day Special Events Executive Committee.

On 20 July, the event was opened at the Opening Ceremony in the presence of Mr. Akihiro Ohta, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.Following the ceremony, the two-day international symposium was held, focusing the theme: “maritime education and training”, and concluded with “the Yokohama Declaration”, which summarized the discussion.On the second day, 21 July, the excursion was organized to observe the Japan’s maritime heritage sites etc. in the city of Yokohama, which hosted the event of the day.Finally, at the closing ceremony, Mr. Akihiro Nishimura, State Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan summarized this event and handed over the flag of the World Maritime Day Parallel Event to the distinguished delegate of Turkey, which will host the next year’s parallel event.

This event, which was attended by over 400 stakeholders including some 160 people from 60 countries around the world, ended successfully.

About World Maritime Day Parallel Event

World Maritime Day in each year has a certain theme, which is reflected in IMO’s work throughout the year in question, since 1978. Under the theme, IMO holds a ceremony in the last week of September at IMO headquarters.

 

The theme for World Maritime Day in 2015 is “Maritime Education and Training”.

 

It aims to shed light on the broader aspect of maritime education and training, especially for its adequacy and quality. It sees the importance to maintain the quality, practical skill and ability of qualified human resources as a solid foundation for ensuring its sustainability of a safe and secure maritime industry.

 

In 2017, the 1978 STCW Convention and Code will be amended and set the international standards for the training and education of seafarers. Even though compliance with its regulation is essential for serving on board ships, only the effective maritime education and training enables seafarers and the human element ashore to maintain, update and reinforce their skills and competence adequately.

 

For further information on the World Maritime Day 2015, visit IMO - World Maritime Day

Event Details

General Information

Dates: 20 and 21 July 2015
Venue: 20 July 2015 Ballroom “Ho’oh”, The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
           (2-10-3, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100-0014)
           21 July 2015 “Admiral Perry's Room”, Hotel New Grand
           (10, Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa, 231-8520 Japan)
Organized by: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
            International Maritime Organization
                      Marine Day Special Events Executive Committee
 
Click here to download the programme

Programme

World Maritime Day Parallel Event Opening Ceremony (video
  • Opening remarks by Mr. Akihiro Ohta, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
  • Keynote address by Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, IMO
  • Speech by Mr. Koji Miyahara, Chairman, Marine Day Special Events Executive Committee 
Session 1: Maritime Human Resources today (video
Moderated by:
  • H.E. Mr. Makoto Washizu, President, Japan International Transport Institute (JITI)
Speakers:
  • Mr. Richard Clayton, Chief Maritime Analyst, IHS Maritime(presentation)
  • Mr. Bradley Groves, Chairman, Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW), IMO(presentation)
  • Dr. Maximo Q. Mejia Jr., Administrator, Maritime Industry Authority, Philippines(presentation)
  • Ms. Katharina Stanzel, Managing Director, INTERTANKO(presentation)
  • Mr. Glenn Blackwood, Chair, International Association of Maritime Universities (Vice-President, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada)(presentation)
 
Session 2: Human Resources related to the Seas and the Oceans (video
Moderated by:
  • Prof. Mariko Kawano, Faculty of Law, Waseda University
Speakers:
  • Prof. Hiroyuki Yamato, Executive Vice President (Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences), University of Tokyo(presentation)
  • Mr. Hitoshi Hotta, Executive Director, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)(presentation)
  • Ms. Gabriele Goettsche-Wanli, Director, Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, United Nations
  • Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, World Maritime University (WMU)
   
Session 3: Education for Future Generations (video
Moderated by:
  • Prof. Satoshi Tanaka, President, Research Center for Marine Education, Ocean Alliance, University of Tokyo
Speakers:
  • Ms. Margaret Spring, Vice President of Conservation & Science and Chief Conservation Officer, Monterey Bay Aquarium(presentation)
  • Mr. Yukihiko Oikawa, A member of Japanese National Commission for UNESCO(presentation)
  • Mr. Manabu Tamura, Senior Specialist for Curriculum, Educational Media and Information Policy Division, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(presentation)
  • Dr. Krista Singleton Cambage, Director, The Nature Conservancy(presentation)
  • Mr. Fumiya Shinohara, Commentator
 
Session 4: Next Steps in Education and Training (video
Speakers:
  • Mr. Jeffrey Lantz, Chairman of the Council, IMO
  • Mr. Toshiya Morishige, Director General, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
  • Mr. Masamichi Morooka, Chairman, The International Chamber of Shipping
 
Remarks by Mr. Nobuya Suzuki, Deputy Mayor of the City of Yokohama (video)(presentation)
  
Special Session (video)   
Speakers:
  • Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, IMO
  • Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, President, WMU
  • Prof. David Attard, Director, IMLI
   
Session 5: Education utilizing the Maritime Heritage (video
Speakers:
  • Mr. Yoh Nakagawa, President, Japan Industrial Archaeology Society(presentation)
  • H.E. Mr. Manlio Cadelo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Republic of San Marino (Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Japan)
  • Mr. Masakatsu Shizawa, Executive Director, Memorial Foundation of Sail Training Ship “Nippon Maru”(presentation)
 
Wrap-up of Sessions (video)(The YOKOHAMA DECLARATION)
  • Mr. Toshiya Morishige, Director General, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
     
World Maritime Day Parallel Event Closing Ceremony (video
  • Speech by Akihiro Nishimura, State Minister of Land, Infrastructure,Transport and Tourism
  • Speech by Mr. Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General, IMO
  • Speech by Ms. Fumiko Hayashi, Mayor of the City of Yokohama
  • Ceremony marking the passing of the flag of the World Maritime Day Parallel Event by Japan to Turkey

Contact Information

International Planning and Coordination Office, Administration Divition, Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
TEL +81 (0)3 5253 8111
Direct Phone +81 (0)3 5253 8656
FAX +81 (0)3 5253 1642

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